10 Things You Should Definitely Do During Your World Cup Visit To St.Petersburg, Russia

From a girl who was born in this beautiful city and who comes back to visit periodically for at least a month at a time, let me help you skip the touristy crap.

1. Find yourself a guide to take you on a rooftop tour

Kristina Shteyn / Via instagram.com

St.Petersburg is a beautiful enough city at eye-level, but you are in for the view of a lifetime if you can find your way to its rooftops on a nice day. Even better if you bring a good camera!

2. Take a hydrofoil to Peterhof

ellochka84 / Via instagram.com

Alright, this one is a little touristy, but this is a must see for even the locals of St.Petersburg. Peterhof is absolutely enormous, with beautiful fountains, parks, gardens, architecture, you name it. Coupled with the hydrofoil ride across the gulf of Finland, you're in for a full day of mesmerizing views and regal photo-ops!

3. Visit Dom Velikana, or "House of the Giant"

Big Funny / Via Instagram: @big__funny

If you're traveling with kids, Dom Velikana will be perfect for you. If you're not traveling with kids, it will still be perfect for you. This relatively new and ever-growing attraction has a little something for everyone! This entertainment house in downtown St.Petersburg has a variety of unique attractions, including (but not limited to): various mazes, a zone dedicated to visual illusions, an area with giant sized objects (to make you feel like you're in a house of giants), a mini zoo where you can touch and take pictures with some of the animals, a butterfly room, a plate-smashing game, and more!

4. Take a walk in literally any park

Kristina Shteyn / Via instagram.com

If there's one thing St.Petersburg isn't lacking in (other than palaces all over the place), it's beautiful parks/nature. Any ordinary park, man-made or otherwise, will leave you speechless. St.Petersburg was built on a swamp, so there is no shortage of water in and around the city for wildlife to flourish. Large and small natural lakes and ponds dot the city, as well as the Neva river, the gulf of Finland, and the enormous Lake Laduga not too far out, and around all this water you will find fields of wild flowers, pine and other evergreen trees, and the unique zebra-like birch trees. It really is a breath of fresh air to walk through one of these enchanting parks!

5. Spend a day at Piterland Mall and the 300th Anniversary Park

Svetlana Grinchuk / Via Instagram: @svetlanagrinchuk

The Piterland Mall and the Park of the 300th Anniversary of St. Petersburg has plenty to keep you busy for days. The park in itself is a lovely park with fountains, a skating/biking zone, views of the new Lakhta Tower and the St. Petersburg Stadium where the World Cup is taking place, and even a beach on the gulf coast where people swim on nice days. Just outside the mall is the Aerodream attraction (pictured) where you can simulate skydiving. The mall itself is chock-full of attractions, including a full waterpark/spa, floors upon floors of clothing stores for all your shopping needs, a theater, a food court, bars, and various smaller attractions (arcades, kid zones, etc.).

6. See the famous Amber Room at Catherine Palace in Pushkin

Faerie Magazine / Via Instagram: @faeriemagazine

The Amber Room was once considered the Eighth Wonder of the world, before it was stolen by Nazis in 1945. The original pieces of the room were never recovered, but a replica of the room has since been installed in the Catherine Palace, and it is just as breathtaking. Aside from the Amber Room, the rest of the palace and the surrounding Catherine Park are enchanting in their own ways.

7. Visit the State Museum of Political History of Russia

Elena Soloveva / Via Instagram: @elena_soloveva_nn

Or any other museum. Honestly, St.Petersburg has so many museums, it's hard to choose just 1 or 2 if you don't have much time. Personally, after going to the Hermitage and other art-heavy palace-museums every single time I go back to visit St.Petersburg, all of the art kind of starts to blend together. The Hermitage has a collection of around 3 million pieces of art, so if that sounds like your kind of party, then absolutely go for it! But if you're looking for a more historical or informative museum, then I would recommend the State Museum of Political History of Russia or the Zoological Museum.

8. Grab some crepes at Teremok

Teremok / Via Instagram: @teremok_ru

Teremok is essentially the Mcdonalds of Russia. There, you can try some traditional Russian food at a decent price. Some must-haves from Teremok are Bliny (crepes) with sweetened condensed milk, Bliny Carbonara, Syrniki (cottage cheese pancakes), and Pelmeni (Russian dumplings). Couple that with a Russian-style milkshake, some hot tea, or Mors (cranberry juice) and you have yourself delicious Russian meal! And if that doesn't suit you, there's also the fantastic and diverse MarketPlace restaurant in downtown St.Petersburg, also fairly priced and delicious!

9. See the Festival of Sand Sculptures at Peter and Paul Fortress

Olya Maletina / Via Instagram: @olya_maletina

Peter and Paul Fortress is an all around beautiful place, and is the first building to have been built in what is now St.Petersburg. Apart from the beautiful sites, museums and exhibits, and cool photo-ops you will find on the little island-fort, there is the International Sand Sculpture Festival, held every summer from May-September. Each and every sculpture is incredibly detailed and impressive, leaving you wondering how someone could create such a massive, intricate work of art out of sand. My family and I never skip giving the festival a visit. As one of the lesser known attractions of St.Petersburg, it's definitely worth a look!

10. And wherever you go, take the metro!

Marianne Ho / Via Instagram: @marianne0109

I know it may seem a little daunting to take public transportation in a foreign country that you don't know the language of, and as tempting as it is to just call an Uber to get directly where you need to go, trust me when I say this; take the metro. The St.Petersburg metro is unlike any you will see anywhere else. Each station is a work of art in itself. You will not only save money by taking the metro, you will be absolutely starstruck with the grandiosity of the St.Petersburg subways. It's a site you won't want to miss for something as trivial as a little convenience.